BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky University sophomores Soufiane Bouchikhi and Picoty Leitich have been named the Ohio Valley Conference Male and Female Track Athletes of the Week, respectively, following their performances at the Indiana Polytan Invitational this weekend.

Bouchikhi ran the 10th fastest men’s 5,000 meters time in the East Region on Friday at the Polytan Invitational, finishing second only to Cincinnati’s Eric Finan with a personal and OVC-best time of 13:54.37. The time is the second fastest in school history and just under four seconds faster than his previous personal-best of 13:58.17, set in March at the Stanford Invitational.

Leitich, who was the Co-Female Athlete of the Week along with Jacksonville State’s Laveeta Oliver, finished second and was the top collegiate finisher in the women’s 800 meters on Friday at the Polytan Invitational with a personal and OVC-best time of 2:07.45. She finished second only to Saucony’s Molly Beckwith, who ran a Haugh Track record time of 2:01.49. Leitich’s time is the 24th fastest in the East Region this outdoor season, the second-fastest in school history and just over a second off the school record of 2:06.19, set by Jamie King in 1999.

Bouchikhi, a five-time OVC track champion and the 2010 OVC Cross Country Runner of the Year, has now won four OVC Male Track Athlete of the Week awards in his career. This is the first OVC Female Track Athlete of the Week award for Leitich, who was the 2009 OVC Female Cross Country Runner of the Year. The duo earned Male and Female Cross Country Runner of the Week honors together on Oct. 5, 2010 following their performances at the Greater Louisville Classic.

Bouchikhi, Leitich and select other members of the EKU track and field team will compete at the prestigious Penn Relays this week. Following that meet, the Colonels will compete at the OVC Outdoor Championships from May 5-7 in Murray, Ky.